European projects
Fields of collaboration
Relations within the EU
Liège province is a medium-sized local authority that is established across a region of 84 municipalities gathering just over one million inhabitants.
Taking part in the organisation of large-scale European projects is an opportunity for it to lead structural regional development initiatives, addressing priority cross-departmental themes for the European Commission:
Digital transition
The digital transition changes our practices in consumption, collaboration or communication, and affects all fields. This transition and fight against digital fracture that it involves are key priorities for Liège province in many sectors: simplifying administration, education & training, culture & tourism, communication, etc. This all the more important at European level, and the aim is to encourage and strengthen the large-scale deployment of key digital technologies. The European Union will soon launch its first programme for a digital Europe 2021-2027.
Culture
Liège province has always been a primary player in cultural and creative development, as a subsidising power as well as the leader of innovative projects. Its priorities are: support to creativity, audience development, accessibility of the cultural offering in its region to the largest audience possible, digital technology, mobility of works and artists, showcasing heritage or even collaboration between sectors... All these priorities are shared by the Creative Europe programme! This is why it wanted to play an active part.
Ecological transition
As signatory to the Mayors' Agreement for Energy and the Climate and coordinator of the Climate Plan for the Municipalities involved, Liège province feels concerned by the climate emergency.
To enable a fair, integrated and sustainable ecological transition, both in energy and environmental terms, and to move towards a new economic and social model, it is committed to sustainable development projects.
In terms of the energy transition: the energy efficiency of provincial buildings, promotion of soft, multi-modal and social mobility, use of alternative fuels, etc.
In terms of the environmental transition: promotion of rational, different and integrated agriculture to aim towards a sustainable food system and circular economy (waste management, short circuits, production, transformation, distribution, etc.)
Education & Training
Education and Training are the primary profession in Liège province. It offers its students excellent learning conditions, suitable infrastructure and attractive training courses in response to the needs of professional environments. It aims for the ongoing improvement of training processes, from advice to training, guidance, management and communication. To do this, European programmes such as Erasmus+ or Interreg, for example, are real opportunities to enable students and teachers to perfect their learning.
Tourism
Liège province is the top tourist destination in Wallonia. The Hautes Fagnes Eifel Nature Park, the Châteaux of Logne and Jehay, its important museums and burgeoning cultural scene, are all natural and heritage assets that Liège province, via its Tourism Federation, aims to introduce to visitors from here and elsewhere. Incoming tourism surrounding themes (nature, land, memory, etc.), development of river tourism, cycle tourism, hiking, setting up facilities and infrastructure, support to tourism providers, etc. Here are a few examples of development projects to promote and extend in large-scale European projects, in particular on a cross-border scale in Meuse-Rhine Euroregion Interreg and Greater Region Interreg programmes.
Well-being & Health
Liège province's missions are to promote health and well-being and reduce social healthcare inequalities, as well as to improve the quality of citizens' lives (with special attention given to teenagers and under-represented groups). Its aims are, in particular, to facilitate their social integration, to fight physical, psychological and sexual violence and to strengthen healthcare professionals' abilities. There are many opportunities at European level, from Interreg programmes to European community programmes (Healthcare programmes or Horizon Europe programme).
Sport
Liège province is also a contributor to sports development. With no fewer than 6 sports infrastructures, it endeavours to improve sports practice at any age, to offer a local support policy and to guarantee a quality sports offering. Its provincial Sports Academy is a Wallonian start-up dedicated to discovery and initiation into sport for children and young people. It also supports sport and competition by organising international sports events, while ensuring that it fights any form of exclusion from sport. The Erasmus+ programme “sports” section is an occasion to share one's experience and exchange best practice.
Civil safety
Liège province intends to remain an important player in terms of civil safety. It offers suitable courses organised within state-of-the art infrastructure. At the heart of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, Liège province also tries to provide its citizens with a high level of protection against catastrophes, via the development of a real prevention culture and by improving cooperation between the protection services in neighbouring countries, in particular through the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion Interreg programme.